diff --git a/client/main.c b/client/main.c
index 427286a0..46ca6a80 100644
--- a/client/main.c
+++ b/client/main.c
@@ -745,15 +745,6 @@ int run()
     state.shmSize     = ivshmem_get_map_size();
     state.shm->hostID = ivshmem_get_id();
 
-    // flag the host that we are starting up this is important so that
-    // the host wakes up if it is waiting on an interrupt, the host will
-    // also send us the current mouse shape since we won't know it yet
-    DEBUG_INFO("Waiting for host to signal it's ready...");
-    __sync_or_and_fetch(&state.shm->flags, KVMFR_HEADER_FLAG_RESTART);
-    while(state.running && (state.shm->flags & KVMFR_HEADER_FLAG_RESTART))
-      usleep(1000);
-    DEBUG_INFO("Host ready, starting session");
-
     if (params.useSpice)
     {
       if (!spice_connect(params.spiceHost, params.spicePort, ""))
@@ -783,6 +774,15 @@ int run()
       break;
     }
 
+    // flag the host that we are starting up this is important so that
+    // the host wakes up if it is waiting on an interrupt, the host will
+    // also send us the current mouse shape since we won't know it yet
+    DEBUG_INFO("Waiting for host to signal it's ready...");
+    __sync_or_and_fetch(&state.shm->flags, KVMFR_HEADER_FLAG_RESTART);
+    while(state.running && (state.shm->flags & KVMFR_HEADER_FLAG_RESTART))
+      usleep(1000);
+    DEBUG_INFO("Host ready, starting session");
+
     while(state.running)
       renderThread(NULL);